FY2007-2008

Bharti Centre for Communication to be established in IIT-Bombay

● IIT-Bombay receives $1 million in assistance for establishing Bharti Centre for Communication

● Bharti Centre for Communication to promote excellence in education and research in all facets of communication technology

New Delhi, November 20, 2007: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Bombay, one of India’s leading technology education institutions, will establish the Bharti Centre for Communication in partnership with Bharti Foundation. The Bharti Centre will strive for excellence in research in communication theory and systems, and will foster technical collaboration between the research and user groups.

IIT-Bombay has received an assistance of $1 million through Bharti Foundation towards setting up this Centre of excellence in communication systems and technology, which under a single umbrella will encompass communication theory, practice and applications. The Centre, which will be set up in the existing building of the Electrical Engineering Department, will house state-of-the-art laboratories and infrastructure that enables a rich research environment and attracts the best faculty and students. Some of the broad research areas would include 4G technology, RF MEMS, Next-Generation IP/MPLS Services, Optical Fiber Communication.

On the occasion Mr. Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman, Bharti Enterprises said, “Today, India is one of the world’s fastest growing telecom markets and we believe that the country also needs to emerge as a major communications technology hub. IIT-Bombay is a world-class institution and we are delighted to partner them in this initiative to promote education and research in this field of communication systems & technology. We are confident that this partnership will create a wealth of knowledge that will benefit the industry and the country”.

2007 is the beginning of the Golden Jubilee year of IIT – Bombay and this initiative by Bharti Foundation is expected to provide impetus to the efforts of the institute to excel in communication research and achieve greater heights. Prof. Ashok Misra, Director, IIT Bombay said "We are thankful to Bharti Enterprises for establishing the Bharti Centre for Communication at IIT Bombay. This is an excellent example of our interactions with the industry and will provide a platform for collaboration between the researchers at Bharti Enterprises and faculty at IIT Bombay in the area of communication technology. The synergy between a leading industry and an academic institute will be of mutual benefit."

Bharti Foundation, in partnership with IIT-Delhi, has also set up the Bharti School of Telecommunication Technology & Management to groom and develop ‘Young Telecom Leaders’ for this dynamic and cutting-edge industry. The school offers post-graduate programmes, i.e. M.Tech, MBA, MS (Research) and Ph.D in telecommunication.

About Bharti Foundation:

Bharti Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of Bharti Enterprises was established in 2000 with a vision "to help underprivileged children and young people of our country realize their potential". Bharti Foundation aims to realize its vision by creating and supporting education programs that bring about sustainable changes, predominantly in the field of education. Bharti Foundation has set itself the goals of providing quality primary education to disadvantaged children; and ensuring education and training opportunities for youth. Under its Satya Bharti School Program, Bharti Foundation is setting up 1000 village-based primary schools for underprivileged children across the country. Further, under the School Improvement Program, Bharti Foundation has signed an MoU with the Government of Rajasthan to adopt 50 government primary schools. These schools shall be enhanced qualitatively to function on similar lines as the existing Satya Bharti Schools. Bharti Foundation is also running several other education programs like Bharti Computers Centres, Bharti Libraries and Mid-day Meal program for the underprivileged children. As part of its higher education initiatives, Bharti Foundation has instituted Bharti Scholarship Scheme in 30 premier institutions across the country. It has set up the Bharti School of Telecommunication Technology and Management at IIT-Delhi to develop young Telecom Leaders. Bharti Foundation has also undertaken many other projects, including institutionalizing awards to recognize talent and thereby motivating other young people to aim higher. "Bharti Entrepreneur of the Year" award and "CII-Bharti Woman Exemplar" award are two such initiatives. Bharti Foundation was awarded the coveted Golden Peacock Award for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for the year 2006 in the NGO category.